BACC, a nonprofit organization that hosts over 50 charity gown sales across the country annually, will set up a “Tour of Gowns” event showcasing discounted wedding gowns. The organization’s website points out that more than half the gowns presented during each event are new designer gowns that arrived directly from designers, manufacturers and bridal retailers.

While I wouldn’t call it a tome, it earns its $30 price. It’s crammed with stories from Mrs. Obama, the White House chef, community gardeners from across the country, garden plans, garden tips.

Call it a weighty scrapbook, roughly organized by season, but full of interjections, like the one in the Spring chapter that accompanies an historic photo of sheep grazing on the South Lawn, or the one in Summer where she dishes on what happened when Food Network stars (Alton Brown, Rachel Ray, Tom Colicchio) visited the garden. Park Service personnel add their takes on facets of gardening. Some of the profiles of community gardens are written by the gardeners.